All my classes - Which one is right for you?

I love my job and I honesty wouldn’t teach any class or practice any exercise I don’t firmly believe is an effective way to lead a healthy and happy lifestyle.

I often get asked by clients and potential clients which of my classes would suit them, so I’ve decided to write an article detailing all aspects of each class including their calorie burn, strength gain, fitness improvement, suitability for beginners along with a rating for each category on a scale from 1 to 5 (5 being the best).

I’ll keep it unbiased, but I believe that I’ve got a class for everyone J

AEROBICS:

What is it?

Aerobics is my lowest impact class, although for the more advanced members, there is always an option to add or increase impact to make the class more physically demanding. Aerobics comprises of doing a set routine of movements to music, these can be as simple as walking forwards and backwards, to half or full jacks and grapevines with hamstring curls (don’t worry I always show easier and harder options so no one feels left out). The idea of an aerobics routine is to gradually increase your heart rate, get you a bit out of breath & sweaty and burn some calories before gradually bringing your heart rate down and moving onto a toning section. The toning section is a great way to increase muscle mass (great for improving calorie burn at rest), and reduce the appearance of those wobbly bits. It’s also a great way to improve core strength, which will help to support your back and flatten your stomach.

How suitable is it for a beginner?

This is the most suitable of all my classes for a beginner or for someone who suffers from medical conditions or injuries that restrict participation in other classes. Please always talk to me about any concerns before starting a class. We usually do the toning section on the floor, but I do offer alternatives in either a standing or seated position of which a few of my members prefer to do.

5/5

How many calories does it burn?

Any exercise where you get out of breath and sweaty will burn calories. How many calories each person burns, depends on their exertion levels (people who use bigger movements and jump will burn more calories). On average, you can expect to burn between 200-400 calories at 45 minute class. The toning section at the end, helps to increase metabolism, so when performed on a regular basis, will increase your ability to burn calories.

3/5

How much fun is it?

The routine and soundtrack is changed every 4-8 weeks to avoid participants getting bored of attending the same class. The movements are repeated in an aerobics class, which is great if you like your classes to be structured and know what to expect next. Some people, however, prefer not to know what the session ahead holds.

3/5

How good is it for increasing my fitness?

Any exercise where you are able to push yourself to the point of feeling a bit out of breath, will increase your fitness levels. The only downside to a structured routine such as an aerobics class, is as you get fitter, you will have to push harder with the same exercises to be able to feel you are getting a hard workout. This is another reason the routine is changed regularly.

4/5

Will my strength improve?

Most definitely! As with the fitness, if you can feel it in your muscles then your strength will improve. This is more true of the toning section, where we regularly do exercises for the arms, core and legs, helping to support all of your joints such as knees, hips, shoulders and spine and improve the functionality of those muscles used.

3/5

Will my flexibility improve?

Yes, at the end of each aerobics class, we spend around 5 minutes stretching the muscles and joints that we focused on throughout the session. Many of my members tell me how their flexibility has improved since starting my classes and that joint pain has eased.

4/5

Where, when and how much?

Mondays – 10am-10:45am at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, 18 Douglas Road, Southbourne. £5 per class or £15 per calendar month. No classes are held on Bank Holidays.

Tuesdays - 9:30am-10:15am at Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown. £5 per class or £15 per calendar month.

Wednesdays – 6:30pm-7:15pm at Epiphany School, Shillingstone Drive, Muscliff. £5 per class or £15 per calendar month.

My website and Facebook are regularly updated with any class dates that are not running.

BOKWA:

What is it?

This is the class for you if you love to party! You sweat the alphabet and dance the digits! There is no complicated choreography to learn, just dance steps which either trace the outline of letters or numbers depending on which hand signal the instructor holds up. The music gets turned up LOUD, and we party away! You work at your own pace, either keep it slow and gentle or jump it up, adding your own attitude. I always think that Bokwa looks like a flash mob, with everyone moving in the same direction at the same time. The best way to see what I mean is by watching some videos on YouTube.

How suitable is it for a beginner?

Bokwa is suitable for total beginners, however, some people with knee or hip problems may find the side movements cause a bit of pain. In terms of coordination though, the feedback I’ve received is that the moves are much easier to pick up the other dance classes, and as soon as they get the hang of the steps they find themselves getting carried along by the beat of the music, really getting their sweat on. Don’t be put off by how amazing the YouTube videos look, the moves are genuinely really easy to pick up, and that comes from people who have self confessed coordination problems!

4/5

How many calories does it burn?

During an average class, depending on how much you jump it up you can expect to burn between 300-800 calories per session.

4/5

How much fun is it?

If you love dancing and loud music then there is no better class!

5/5

How good is it for increasing my fitness?

Really good, gets you out of breath and as your coordination improves, you’ll be able to go bigger faster and add your own flare to each step.

5/5

Will my strength improve?

Core and leg strength, especially your calves will improve, however Bokwa does little in for increasing arm strength.

2/5

Will my flexibility improve?

Any aerobic exercise which promotes a good range of motion will help to increase flexibility, however the stretch part of the cool down focuses mainly on the used muscles to prevent muscle soreness and injury.

2/5

Where, when and how much?

I currently run one Bokwa class a week, held every Wednesday, 7:30pm-8:20pm at Epiphany School, Shillingstone Drive, Muscliff, £5 per class or £15 per calendar month.

BOOT CAMP:

What is it?

An all round exercise class which promotes functional movements to increase strength, cardiovascular fitness and body fat weight loss. This class involves many different exercises and challenges incorporating weights, ropes, boxing, body weight exercises, skipping, sprints and much more. Some weeks we focus more on a circuit based workout, others we work together or against each other in competition. Great fun, and certainly a class worth trying if you want to see quick results.

How suitable is it for a beginner?

Boot camp classes are generally thought of as military style work outs and therefore one of the harder classes I teach. However, as a trained instructor I understand and appreciate beginner levels and medical restrictions. Please talk to me about any concerns you have about taking part. I’m always happy to offer alternatives or easier options to make the class more than suitable for beginners, the only thing I ask if you require these alternatives are that you embrace them and not be concerned at what the other members are doing. Each person has their own version of a hard session, and as long as everyone gets a hard work out I’m not bothered how different you look to one another, and neither should you be.

3/5

How many calories does it burn?

Boot Camp sessions usually involve short sharp bursts which help to increase muscle mass, which in turn will increase your bodies ability to burn calories at rest. Boot Camp should be seen as an investment, the more you do the more efficient you become at burning fat. Each session in itself can still burn between 250-750 calories.

4/5

How much fun is it?

If you like to be pushed hard and are competitive then it’s loads of fun! You will ache during and after a boot camp session, and for some people this counts as a hobby! For some people though, they prefer a class which doesn’t leave them walking like a cowboy the following day!

3/5

How good is it for increasing my fitness?

One of the best classes for all round fitness, your stamina will increase as will your overall health and efficiency.

5/5

Will my strength improve?

Definitely. Boot camp is probably the best group fitness class for increasing strength. If strength is something you’d like to improve, take home some of the weights and body weight exercises.

5/5

Will my flexibility improve?

Boot camp doesn’t focus on flexibility but you’d still see a natural improvement.

1/5

Where, when and how much?

I regularly run courses for boot camp, the next one starts on Saturday 17^th August, 11am-11:45am at Epiphany School, Shillingstone Drive, Muscliff, £15 for 4 weeks and this also includes the use of the body composition scales on your first and last week to help track your progress.

BOXERCISE:

What is it?

Boxercise is a fun, effective and addictive all round fitness class. Boxercise uses exercises based on the fitness regime professional boxers use to keep super fit. We combine a cardiovascular warm up, with circuit stations to start. This builds muscle, increases muscle mass and fitness and burns calories. You will then move on to the punching. First and foremost you are at this class to practice safe form and technique and make the most of your workout, once you’ve perfected technique, you will learn different combinations and participate in gruelling challenges. Working with a partner each week, you will learn how to safely hold focus pads and how to make contact when punching the pads, you will never be expected to participate in combat with another participant.

How suitable is it for a beginner?

I run two Boxercise classes at present and although both are suitable for beginners, I would recommend my 8 week courses to any new members. The course is more structured, learning new moves each week. At the pay as you go class, new members tend to get chucked in at the deep end a bit more. In terms of fitness, this is great for beginners as you will begin to push harder the fitter you get. For medical conditions and injuries, as with boot camp I am more than happy to give alternatives. I often get people with injuries which restrict what they can or cant do, I’m more than happy to accommodate providing you make me aware of any restrictions and are happy yourself doing the alternative exercises.

4/5

How many calories does it burn?

Boxercise burns between 500-1000 calories per session!

5/5

How much fun is it?

Once you get past the warm up and circuits, the fun really begins. The boxing aspect of the class is so much fun and addictive, and I often get comments about how quickly the sessions fly by!

5/5

How good is it for increasing my fitness?

The combination of cardio work, strength work and boxing give you a variety of explosive moves which really do wonders for improving fitness.

5/5

Will my strength improve?

Yes, although many people think boxing just works your arms, Boxercise will also work your core & legs, making it a brilliant class for overall strength improvement.

5/5

Will my flexibility improve?

We don’t focus on flexibility, other than some stretches at the end.

2/5

Where, when and how much?

Pay as you go class is held every Friday at The Wessex Hotel, Bournemouth 6:30pm-7:30pm, £6 per class (first class just £3).

My next 8 week course begins on Tuesday 24th September, 7pm-8pm at Muscliff School, Broadway Lane, Throop. The cost for this course is £60 for new members and includes your own pair of gloves and wraps. For rejoining members the fee is £40. If you pay before 10th September, you'll receive a £5 discount. You also get full use of the body composition scales on week one and eight.

HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING:

What is it?

Often abbreviated to HIIT, High Intensity Interval Training uses the idea that short intense periods of exercise followed by a recovery period promote calorie burn for up to 24 hours after attending the class. I run regular courses for HIIT, doing body composition testing on your first and last week. During my class, we do a simple warm up followed by some basic aerobic moves which we use as our recovery period. Active recovery should not work participants too hard, on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being sat down watching TV and 10 complete failure you want to be working at around a 5, so 50% of maximum effort. When we reach the HIIT’s, you are expected to up this to around an 8, or 80%. On week one, you are actually only expected to work at 80% for a total of 3 minutes, this is broken down into 6 lots of 30 second HIIT’s. After you’ve completed your HIIT training, we finish with a core section and cool down. HIIT works because your body is having to chop and change between it’s different energy systems, meaning that your body remains an efficient calorie burner for hours after you’ve finished!

How suitable is it for a beginner?

I have structured my HIIT classes to easily accommodate all levels of fitness. Down one side of the room I arrange level one’s, of which I show an easier, non impact version. In the middle of the room I place level two’s, who are all given a low impact option and where most people find themselves standing. Down the other side are the levels three’s, this is for hardcore, high impact versions! Each person still works to 80% during the HIIT’s but the different levels just means that they all look slightly different.

5/5

How many calories does it burn?

The benefit of HIIT is in the after class calorie burn, the amount you burn will depend on your own metabolism, however during a class you can be expected to burn between 250-400 calories.

5/5

How much fun is it?

Admittedly not the most fun class, but it does work and the knowledge that your body is still busy burning calories well into your

Saturday evening is a massive selling point!

3/5

How good is it for increasing my fitness?

The short sharp bursts of exercise will increase your fitness, to the point that over the weeks I see many participants begin pushing harder and even moving up a level.

4/5

Will my strength improve?

If you are a level three, using impact during HIIT’s then you will see some improvement in strength but HIIT will not really increase muscle mass. It does help to retain muscle mass though, so a great option if you find other cardio classes have a detrimental effect.

2/5

Will my flexibility improve?

Many members have found their flexibility has improved during previous courses. We do quite a few stretches due to the intensity you are expected to work at throughout the class.

4/5

Where, when and how much?

My next four week HIIT course is starting on Saturday 17^th August, 10am-10:45am at Epiphany School, Shillingstone Drive, Muscliff. The course is usually six weeks, so the reduced fee for this course is £15 and this also includes the use of the body composition scales on weeks one and four.

I have also planned my next six week course starting at Epiphany School on Saturday 28^th September, 11am. The cost for this course is £25.

PERSONAL TRAINING:

What is it?

Anything you want it to be! Boxing, boot camps, legs, bums, tums, running... The possibilities are endless. Great for anyone needing extra motivation or working towards a goal.

How suitable is it for a beginner?

I often personal training people who a brand new to fitness, teaching them correct form and technique, assessing as they learn and helping them to progress. I see clients who need to lose a lot of weight, to those who compete in marathons and triathlons to those who just want to tone up and lose a bit of flabbiness!

How many calories does it burn?

This will all depend on what your goals are and what programme I create for you to reach these goals. Each client plan is different.

How much fun is it?

In all honesty, people usually start off thinking they will hate it. Unfortunately some exercises become the arch enemy but I do try to balance this out with something the client enjoys and feels gives them a good workout.

How good is it for increasing my fitness?

Personal training will always get results, even if it’s just a short term addition to your fitness regime.

Will my strength improve?

As above, you’ll always see results.

Will my flexibility improve?

I especially like to work on form and flexibility, most joint pain or discomfort comes from bad alignment, weakness or tight muscles so I work with you to improve this, often giving you exercises to do at home.

Where, when and how much?

Anywhere from your home to the beach. Anytime between 8am-8pm Monday to Friday and some Saturdays (outside of class times).

Special offers are always available, so please ask or see the prices page on my website for details. I offer a free consultation, and current special offers are:

Half Price session when you like my Facebook Page (£15)

20% off a block of 10 sessions when you like my Facebook Page

10% off a block of 10 sessions (not liking the Facebook Page)

Current Prices are:

One 60 minute session (once a week, month or one off)= £30 per session

Two 60 minute sessions per week = £28 per session

Three 60 minute sessions per week = £26 per session

THE VERDICT:

Best for beginners: Aerobics & HIIT

Best for calorie burn: Boxercise & HIIT

Best for fun: Bokwa & Boxercise

Best for fitness: Bokwa, Boot Camp & Boxercise

Best for strength gain: Boot Camp & Boxercise

Best for flexibility: Aerobics & HIIT

Overall winner: BOXERCISE!

Other classes or exercises I recommend: Yoga, Pilates, spinning, swimming & any sport of which YOU ENJOY participating in!